3 minute read
Scottish Autumn by Kevin Gibbin
Scottish Autumn By Kevin Gibbin
The images in this article are based on three trips to Scotland in the Autumn; two of those trips were to the Cairngorms, the third included a visit to Skye.
It is interesting to reflect on the weather conditions encountered which varied from mist to bright autumn sunshine to snow – even in October – and of course rain. In fact some of the images made in snowy conditions are among my favourites.
One lesson to be learnt is that even though there are truly magnificent landscapes to be photographed there are also more intimate details that can be the subject of the image.
One of the benefits of image-making in misty conditions is that colours become quite subdued and attenuated plus adding depth to the photograph. The first image, taken in Rothiemurchus forest typifies this.
Image 2, taken mid-morning, also shows the more subtle colour rendition produced by mist. What a bonus to find the two fishermen in just the right place.
In total contrast is Image 3 with wonderful reflections of vibrant autumn colours taken on Loch Garten in the Abernethy Forest on a quiet but sunny autumn day.
Also taken with the benefit of strong autumn sun is Image 4, of grasses in Craigellachie National Nature Reserve; I used my Nikkor 70 – 200 mm lens plus a 1.7X extender with a focal length of 270mm for this shot – landscape photography is not all about wide-angle lenses! An aperture of F/4.8 provides a lovely out-of-focus background while preserving the lovely autumn orange colours to offset the green of the grasses.
Image 5 is a detail shot of Rowan with a sprinkling of snow on some of the leaves and showing the lovely red berries, a detail taken at 200mm focal length.
In Image 9, I have tried to contrast the delicacy of the twiggery and the few leaves with the in focus trunk in the foreground, the out of focus trunks and the lovely diffuse oranges of the foliage in the background.
Image 10 is in Glen Affric, one of the loveliest of the northern glens, taken into the light, another way of diffusing the colours and providing an almost painterly scene, again using a relatively long focal length of 195mm and a small aperture (F/16)
Eilean Donan castle is easily recognised in Image 11, taken from a less usual viewpoint on the hillside above the lochs, the weather a reminder of my first ever visit to Scotland with my then Fiancee over 50 years ago. Scotland doesn’t change!
I could not resist including the last two images, both on Skye. The Fairy Pools is a magical place especially when the burn is in flood as here. Cloud hangs dark and brooding over the Cuillin.
My final image, 13, is of the Old Man of Storr and readers may recognise it as “My Favourite Image”, taken after a climb in awful conditions to the vantage point and then a long wait in rain, hail and wind for this brief burst of sun through a hailstorm.
Scotland in any season is a landscape photographers heaven, but perhaps Autumn is the most exquisite time of the year.
